新奇事件簿 东非遭遇70年来最严重蝗灾

The livelihood¹ of farmers and other food growers in East Africa is under attack from locusts³. Authorities say swarms⁵ of millions of locusts are ravaging⁶ large swathes of farmland and vegetation. Millions of people are at risk after the insects destroyed crops in Eritrea, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda. The swarms of locusts are spreading and could affect the agriculture, bushland and forests of neighbouring countries. The United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organisation⁷ (FAO) report that some swarms have been sighted as far afield as Yemen and Oman in the Gulf⁸. It is the worst locust² invasion in 70 years and some say it is reaching Biblical proportions.

东非农民和其他粮食种植者的生计受到了蝗虫的攻击。当局表示，成百万的蝗虫正在摧毁大片农田和植被。在厄立特里亚、肯尼亚、埃塞俄比亚、索马里、南苏丹和乌干达，蝗虫毁坏了农作物，数百万人将处于危险之中。蝗虫群正在蔓延，并可能影响到邻国的农业、丛林和森林。联合国粮食及农业组织 （FAO）报告称甚至在远及也门和阿曼的海湾地区也发现了蝗虫群。这是70年来最为严重的蝗虫入侵，一些人称其程度堪比圣经中的可怕灾难。

The locust invasion is seriously affecting the lives of over 12 million people. Many of these were already experiencing food insecurity due to poor harvests from a lack of rain. The swarms of locusts will only worsen the plight⁹ of people living in the region. Locusts are extremely voracious¹⁰ pests. One locust can eat its entire body weight in just 24 hours. A small swarm⁴ could chomp¹¹ its way through enough food to feed 35,000 people in just one day. Esther Kithuka, a farmer in Kenya, expressed her concern about the invasion. She said: "We depend a lot on this season and we worry that the locusts will destroy our harvest and we will end up remaining hungry through the rest of the year [until] next cropping season."

蝗虫入侵严重影响了1200多万人的生活。由于缺乏雨水导致收成不好，其中很多人已经面临着粮食不安全的问题。成群的蝗虫只会使生活在这个地区的人们的困境更加恶化。蝗虫是极其贪婪的害虫。一只蝗虫可以在24小时内吃掉和体重相当的食物。一小群蝗虫可以在一天之内吃掉足够35000人吃的食物。肯尼亚的一位农民Esther Kithuka表达了她对蝗虫入侵的担忧。她说道：“我们在很大程度上依赖于这个季节，我们担心蝗虫会破坏我们的收成，在今年剩下的时间里，我们将一直处于饥饿状态，直到下一个收获季节。”

1 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

2 locust   

n.蝗虫；洋槐，刺槐

参考例句：

• A locust is a kind of destructive insect.蝗虫是一种害虫。
• This illustration shows a vertical section through the locust.本图所示为蝗虫的纵剖面。

3 locusts   

n.蝗虫( locust的名词复数 )；贪吃的人；破坏者；槐树

参考例句：

• a swarm of locusts 一大群蝗虫
• In no time the locusts came down and started eating everything. 很快蝗虫就飞落下来开始吃东西，什么都吃。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 swarm   

n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入

参考例句：

• There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。
• A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。

5 swarms   

蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They came to town in swarms. 他们蜂拥来到城里。
• On June the first there were swarms of children playing in the park. 6月1日那一天，这个公园里有一群群的孩子玩耍。

6 ravaging   

毁坏( ravage的现在分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• It is believed that in fatigue there is a repeated process of ravaging the material. 据认为，在疲劳中，有一个使材料毁坏的重复过程。
• I was able to capture the lion that was ravaging through town. 我能逮住正在城里肆虐的那头狮子。

7 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

8 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

9 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

10 voracious   

adj.狼吞虎咽的，贪婪的

参考例句：

• She's a voracious reader of all kinds of love stories.什么样的爱情故事她都百看不厌。
• Joseph Smith was a voracious book collector.约瑟夫·史密斯是个如饥似渴的藏书家。

11 chomp   

v. （人、动物进食时）大声地咬，嚼得很响

参考例句：

• I lost a tooth while chomping on a French baguette!我啃法棍面包时，崩掉了一颗牙！
• They just chomp on tundra, nap a few hours and feast again.它们只是在苔原上大嚼特嚼，睡上几小时，接着再吃。